GRAHAM BOND: Is his stuff worth buying?

31 December 2017

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Howard Popeck writes:

First things first, try and get hold of the biography of this tragic man, called “The Mighty Shadow” ISBN 0851125832. It is invaluable if you are a novice about this man and/or that era’s R&B. Yes, unappreciated seems to be appropriate here. I had a CD of “Live at Klooks Kleek”. This nine-track concert gig has appeared in various guises and through various labels (most notoriously Springboard International in the U.S.A. in the late '70s) Its Bond with future Cream members Bruce and Baker.

It’s probably the best way to appreciate the band as there’s an immediacy here that the studio albums lacked. But this is a seriously low-fi recording. In a moment of madness I sold it. I still have the double CD containing the two original albums “The Sound of 65” and “There’s a Bond Between Us”. BGOCD500.

Some of the covers are a bit routine and tired, and the original material isn't quite as strong (or frequent) as on the first effort. On a few tunes, the group expands from rave-ups to mellower, jazzier ballads that retain an R&B base. Highlights include the early Jack Bruce composition "Hear Me Calling Your Name" The album is also notable for being one of the very first rock LPs to feature the Mellotron, which Bond used subtly and well.

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I find it hard to think of any Graham Bond that is not worth listening to. I have some early live stuff that is technically truly awful but, the emotion is electric. The man also brought together a truly amazing mix of musicians. He was along with Alexis Korner and John Mayall truly seminal to English rock.